


Dark Ghost

by feshnie



Category: Arslan Senki | Heroic Legend of Arslan, 亜人 - 三浦追儺 & 桜井画門 | Ajin - Miura Tsuina & Sakurai Gamon
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ajin, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, Temporary Character Death, mentions of Ajin characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-25
Updated: 2016-01-25
Packaged: 2018-05-16 06:43:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5818102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/feshnie/pseuds/feshnie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daryun thought it was just an imaginary friend at first.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dark Ghost

When Daryun joined his uncle as one of the workers in billionaire Andragoras’ company, he was well informed of the small family made of the husband, Andragoras, his wife, Tahamenay, and their newly born son, Arslan. The son was doted on very well and he had the proudest parents if Daryun had ever seen any.

He wasn’t around five years later, when his uncle, Vahriz, told him that Arslan had fallen off the edge of the balcony and suffered a broken spine. Alarmed, Daryun had quickly finished his work and practically ran to his employer’s home to learn more about the matter. It took two days of travel and when he arrived, Arslan had quickly fled into his arms, happy and whole. It perplexed him but he tried not to show it.

What was even more confusing was the happy couple’s reactions towards Arslan after the incident. They didn’t bother to hide their disdain and discontent of the boy even in his presence. Daryun could tell that the young child is hurt by their behavior and he felt helpless on how to console him. Shortly after, Arslan was sent away to be raised by a nanny, far away where neither his parents nor Daryun could easily visit him.

Life went on for 6 years. Daryun was transferred to an international branch of the company and he found love in a beauty that he would never be able to forget in his entire lifetime. When he was finally transferred back, it was due mostly to Vahriz’s request than it was for the company’s orders.

“Arslan will be returning soon,” Vahriz said on the drive from the airport to his new apartment. Daryun nodded, suppressing the excitement that bubbled low in his heart. He hadn’t seen the boy in ages and didn’t have any means to communicate since he last saw him. “I hope you will get along well with him.”

“Yes, I will,” Daryun answered back. It was a strange request from his uncle, who knew very well that he practically adored the young master. He didn’t question it though, trusting his uncle to tell him anything important if there was any.

At eleven years old, Arslan was a lively boy with scrapes on his knees and smiles up to his ears. He spoke politely and liked to play under the sun even though he could get sunburnt easily. Daryun didn’t know what Vahriz was so worried about, there wasn’t any possibility that he could hate the boy.

Arslan was moved to a smaller side house, newly built in a far and quiet corner of the estate. All his needs were met and he had a butler, a cook, a teacher and 3 maids who run the house and took care of him. He needed to ask for permission for excursions outside the estate and would be accompanied by a driver and a bodyguard at all times. Daryun frowned when he heard this and he could tell that his uncle didn’t like the arrangements as well. Soon after, Vahriz retired from his office job to personally train Arslan in physical education like fencing and horse-riding.

Daryun visited the boy on every other weekend. Arslan looked so relieved when he came that he was sad to even have to leave at the end of the day.

\---

It was a year later that Daryun was given the permission to stay a night at Arslan’s house. It was the boy’s birthday and he had bought a sizeable cake to celebrate. It was a bit jarring to see mostly adults attending the small party but this was the reality of Arslan’s limited interaction with the outside world. He had more friends his age when he lived with his nanny but he lived too far for them to come and celebrate.

Daryun brought Narsus along for just the party. Narsus had declined strongly at first but he owed him a favour and so came with some grumbling and very empty-handed. Arslan was happy to see a new face and to learn that this was Daryun’s best friend. He could tell that Narsus’ assumptions that Arslan was just like any other bratty rich kids was quickly changing and he was glad to have forced the other to come.

After the party, Arslan took him to the study room to help rearrange the new books he had received as presents. It pained his heart to see the haphazard books on the table were mostly made of titles far too advanced for Arslan’s age and it looked to have been through very much use.

A few minutes later, the maid knocked on the door and pushed in a cart with mugs of hot chocolate milk and some biscuits for their supper. It was a good time to take a break from arranging the books and the both of them took a seat on the sofas. Arslan turned the television on with a mumble about the news and they sat there staring at reports about car accidents and houses burnt.

“Yesterday…” Arslan started to say. Daryun turned to regard the young boy and saw a pensive look on his face. “There was news about an Ajin that appeared in China.”

Daryun nodded. He hadn’t seen the news but he did read it in the morning paper. A 24-year-old Ajin was discovered in Guangzhou, China making it the 42nd Ajin recorded in history.

“Oh, there it is,” Arslan said when coverage about him appeared. Daryun looked at the news anchor saying something about the Ajin finally being apprehended and was currently under the government’s surveillance. “Yesterday… there was a small clip of him before he ran away.”

Daryun turned back to Arslan, wondering where the boy was going with this. Arslan finally turned to lock eyes with him.

“He said something about sending a dark ghost to anyone who pursued him. It reminded me of a black being I see sometimes,” Arslan said. “Whenever I feel lonely or scared, he appears and he would listen to me.”

Daryun nodded with a smile. Despite the hardship of his intense studies and training, Arslan had found time to let his mind conjure an imaginary friend and Daryun was relieved about that. He had heard that kids do that and it was completely normal. Imaginary friends would go away with time and maturity.

“Are you scared of him?” Daryun asked.

“When he first appeared I was scared but he never harmed me. He would disappear after a few minutes,” Arslan explained. “After some time, I could even make him appear on my own will. He sometimes spoke too, if I was really sad. His voice sounds a lot like yours, Daryun.”

There was no doubt that Arslan had missed the presence of a friendly face so much that his mind started making up a friend for him and Daryun’s heart hurt at that revelation. He vowed to himself that he would do his best to give as much attention to the boy as he could from then on.

\---

After Arslan turned fourteen, the 47th Ajin – Nagai Kei – appeared in Japan. Closely following suit, Vahriz hurt his back and was hospitalized for a while. Daryun visited him every evening during his short stay and helped his uncle back to his house on the estate. He took a week off work to care for his uncle even though Vahriz tried to chase him away saying he was able to take care of himself. Arslan had practically made camp in the guest room of Vahriz’s house when the older man returned and was more than happy to assist Vahriz back to health.

It was a kind gesture but Arslan wasn’t used to doing housework and had a peculiar set of clumsy hands that didn’t agree to things as simple as carrying a basin of water across a hallway. He broke three plates when loading up the dishwasher and mixed the blacks and whites when washing clothes. So Daryun stayed.

On the third night, Daryun walked in on Arslan standing at the balcony, a small smile on his face as he stared into the empty air next to him. Before he could interrupt, Arslan lifted his hand and waved as if saying goodbye. He was reminded of the night 3 years ago when the boy had told him about his imaginary friend and something in Daryun’s gut dropped.

He had since spoke about it with Narsus and the other said that it was a bit disconcerting to still have imaginary friends at Arslan’s age and should it persist, Arslan may need to see a psychologist about it. The matter flew out of his mind when work picked up but now the concerns returned with heavy vengeance. Although Narsus did also mention to him that it was probably a result of Arslan being kept from people his age but it still worried him.

He silently made his way to his uncle’s room before Arslan could notice him. Vahriz quickly noticed his brooding and troubled expression, carefully placing the bookmark and casting the book aside to give his full attention to his nephew.

“What’s the matter, Daryun?” Vahriz asked worriedly, shifting on the propped up pillows.

“Do you know about Arslan’s imaginary friend?”

“Ah, the Dark ghost. He has mentioned it to me in passing,” Vahriz answered. Daryun couldn’t read the expression on his face but he knew that it was no light matter. “Daryun, my nephew, that is not an imaginary friend.”

“What do you mean?” Daryun could hear his own voice quiver in fear.

“Please swear to me that you will look after young master Arslan no matter what,” Vahriz replied instead, reaching out for Daryun’s hand. Daryun sat on the edge of the bed and took Vahriz’s hand in his. “Promise me that you will continue to be by his side and protect him even if the world turns against him.”

Daryun felt his heart speed up and drop at the same time.

“I swear to you, uncle,” Daryun said with as much sincerity as he could muster.

“Young master Arslan is an Ajin.”

\---

It didn’t matter that Arslan was an Ajin until four months after Daryun had found out.

He had enthusiastically offered to take up his uncle’s post as Arslan’s trainer after the doctor advised Vahriz against doing heavy activities with his back like that. Unlike Vahriz who chose to live in the separate staff houses they built on a section away on the estate, Daryun took residence in one of the staff rooms in the basement of Arslan’s house. He shared the floor with the cook, butler and head maid.

Arslan was ecstatic to have him around.

So ecstatic was he that he didn’t see the napkin on the marble floor when he ran towards Daryun. It was as if in slow motion that Daryun saw the boy slip head first to the floor and a deafening crack resounded through the hallway. Blood splattered on the tiles and the body twitched for a few seconds

That was the first time Daryun witnessed Arslan’s death and it was terrifying. His entire world stopped and the hallway seemed so long as he raced to the boy’s side. When he finally slid next to the boy, Arslan was already in the process of sitting up, wiping at his bloody head with shaking fingers.

Vahriz had warned him that Arslan didn’t realize he was an Ajin. He had first died at the age of five when he fell off the balcony and only the head butler and Tahamenay were there to witness the boy reviving. That was the reason Andragoras and Tahamenay shunned their son, believing it was a disgrace to have an Ajin in their family. Andragoras was afraid his reputation would suffer should people find out about Arslan being an Ajin and that was why he was stowed away where people couldn’t find him.

Daryun had been angry when he found out but after discovering the disgusting atrocities the government put Ajin’s through in their inhuman experiments – courtesy of videos someone had posted on the internet – he was relieved. He would never want to put Arslan through such things.

“Daryun,” Arslan’s voice was weak and scared. “Why am I covered in blood?”

There was a brief pause in Daryun’s brain activities as he watched Arslan slowly comprehend the situation. The sound of footsteps climbing up the stairs snapped him out of his trance and he quickly pushed Arslan into an empty room.

“Stay in here and be quiet. I will explain everything soon,” Daryun quickly said, already pulling the door shut.

He pulled out a small knife from his pocket and cut a long line on his palm deep enough to let the blood run. With his foot, he toppled a small wooden table with a glass vase on top. The glass made a loud crashing sound as it hit the floor and he let out a loud, pained sound. The fresh flowers inside the vase scattered far around and the water inside helped mix with Arslan’s blood and became a dilute red, completely wiping traces of the curved splatter of Arslan’s death.

The butler, who had been the one climbing the stairs, ran to him, asking if he was alright. Daryun quickly made up some bullshit about accidentally hitting the table while daydreaming. A handkerchief was used to tie the bloody gash and the butler left to grab the first aid kit.

The moment he disappeared into the corner, Daryun knocked on the room door with his uninjured hand. Arslan opened the door at the second knock, startling the older man.

“Please return to your room and clean up. Once Isfan patches up my hand, I will come to you,” Daryun said. “Before then, do not let anyone in.”

Arslan nodded and slipped out of the room silently. Before he could take for his room at the end of the hallway, Daryun grabbed his hand. Arslan looked back in confusion and he was met with a piercing stare.

“I am on your side, Arslan. I swear I will protect you with all my being,” Daryun swore with intense conviction. Arslan nodded and rushed to do as he had been ordered.

\---

Isfan tended to his hand carefully and quickly. It wasn’t deep enough to need stitches and Daryun convinced him against calling a doctor, saying he had many similar types of injuries in his life. They both knew this wasn’t a lie.

It was half an hour later that he could finally make his way to the young master’s bedroom. He knocked on the door and introduced himself. The door flew open a second later to reveal a cleaned up Arslan.

“Am I an Ajin?” was the first thing Arslan asked, his voice hoarse.

“Let’s speak about it inside,” Daryun replied instead, casting a glance down the hallway before making his way inside.

He closed the door as silently as he could and turned the lock. When Arslan opened his mouth to speak, Daryun held a finger to his lips. He walked across the room and shut the windows and blinds as well as the bathroom door. Arslan turned on the lights and Daryun waved for them to sit on the sofas in the middle of the room.

“How much do you know about Ajin?” Daryun asked in a low voice, once they were seated on the corners of the sofas, close to the point their knees touched.

“Ajin are creatures who can’t die. Because of their human-like appearance and disposition, no one can tell them apart from human until they face a life-ending incident in which their ability to revive is discovered. Ajin are important subjects placed under the government care to further the country’s development. They can only be taken down with tranquilizers and with the appearance of Nagai Kei in Japan, there has been a total of 48 Ajin’s recorded worldwide,” Arslan recited. This was the extent of public released information on the Ajin. “Daryun, am I an Ajin? I died, didn’t I? Does that mean I’m not human?”

“First of all, I want you to forget everything about Ajin being creatures for experiments. Ajin are human through and through and should not be seen as anything but that. They deserve to be treated like human and nothing less,” Daryun started. He couldn’t get furious with what Arslan had said because that was what the higher orders in the countries made the world believe and that was what everyone had been educated with. “And yes, you are an Ajin.”

“You don’t seem surprised. Have you known about me before this?” Arslan asked.

“Uncle Vahriz told me. They first discovered you are an Ajin when you fell off the balcony and broke your skull and spine,” Daryun answered. It was weird to talk about death so casually. He realized with a pang that if it hadn’t been for Arslan being an Ajin, he would have ended his life at such a young age.

“When I was 5? I don’t remember it very well. Is that… Is that why mother and father kept their distance?”

Daryun nodded.

“Are you going to hand me over to the government, Daryun?” Arslan asked fearfully. Daryun quickly took his smaller hands in his and looked him straight in the eye.

“No one should be put through that hell. Especially you,” Daryun said. “I swear to you, young master Arslan that I will devote my entire being to keeping you from being discovered and taken away. I have but one life and I will put it on the line for you no matter what.”

“Daryun…” Arslan breathed out in relief, a single tear rolling down his cheek. “Thank you.”

**Author's Note:**

> I recently got into Ajin and I thought the concept was very interesting so this happened. I wrote this in just a few hours. That's gotta be a first. I'm not very good at writing so this one-shot was half exposition before the actual story and dialogue. Sorry but I hope you enjoyed it even a bit^^


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